Footwear is typically produced in a number of different shoe sizes, each of which fits a particular size of foot. Although units of measurement vary worldwide, the various sizes in each system are intended to account for a different foot size in the population of wearers, which can include men, woman, and children. In the United States, for example, typical adult shoe sizes vary in length from sizes 4-15, with half sizes available in between most of these sizes. In many cases, different widths are also available (e.g., D, E, EE, etc.) in these shoe sizes to accommodate feet of different widths. Thus, because of the large variation in foot sizes, stores that stock articles of footwear must carry large numbers of different sizes.
In addition, a person's foot size will change over time. For example, changes in foot size can result from age-related periods of foot growth, external temperature changes in the environment, physiological changes in the body such as those caused by pregnancy, injury, or other medical conditions that result in an increase or decrease in the overall size and shape of one's feet.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an article of footwear that reduces the number of sizes required to meet the needs of an intended population of wearers and/or that can accommodate some variation in foot size among individual users without discomfit.